Scanning the horizon for research and innovation of the future

Wednesday 1st November 2017

The Academy is excited to announce a horizon scanning initiative to identify the key areas of research and innovation for the future. This new initiative looks forward to the year 2048 – 50 years after the Academy’s formation – and reflects the Academy’s commitment to engaging and supporting the development of world-leading medical science. The initiative will call on the extensive knowledge and enthusiasm of our unique Fellowship, grant awardees and collaborative networks to identify pioneering topics to inform the future plans of the Academy, as well as our partners and stakeholders including policy makers, funder and researchers.

A two-step approach will be used to identify key areas of research and innovation for 2048:

Step 1: A questionnaire for our Fellows and grant awardees, to be launched in the coming weeks, will seek to elicit forward thinking and innovative responses.

Step 2: A series of workshops will be held to discuss key areas identified in the questionnaire in more depth and consider their implications for society. These workshops will take place across the country with support from the Academy’s Regional Champions in early 2018, and will bring together Academy early career researchers, Fellows and collaborators

This type of ‘thought experiment’ is a useful addition to the more traditional, evidenced work the Academy does.

For more information about this project, please contact Katharine Fox, and watch this space for updates and developments.